Under the Cherry Tree
by yxx
Summary: Okuda Manami is a plain servant girl living in the commercial district of the capital city. However, her life is turned upside down when she meets Akabane Karma, the heir of the wealthiest merchant family in Edo. Ancient Japan AU, Karmanami (About to be revised)
1. Chapter 1: First Meeting

**Maybe I'm the first person to write a historical/oriental-themed AssClass fic here, but I'll make it good! This story takes place in an alternate universe that is similar to ancient Japan. Main ship is karmanami, with nagikae and more. That ship needs more fanfics! Rated T to be safe. With all that said, enjoy Under the Cherry Tree!**

" _Are you sure we'll meet again?"_

 _Small pink petals fell from the tree, dawdling in the air before falling to the ground just to be scooped up by a small girl. She sniffed the petals, sucking in the smell of the cherry blossoms with a smile. Her short ponytails dangled as she offered them to the red-haired boy sitting nearby._

" _Of course. Who do you think I am? I can do whatever I want." The boy's words were quite arrogant in meaning, but his tone was soft and assuring._

" _Of course I know who you are. You're Karma-kun." The girl giggled as she carefully brushed the cherry petals from her small shoulders and onto the ground, which was already dotted with them._

" _But are you sure we'll meet again? Pinky swear if you're sure." The girl toyed with her hair as she stated her demand shyly._

"' _Course I'm sure. Pinky swear."_

 _Perhaps their intertwined fingers were already tied with red strings of fate then?_

"Manami! Why are you dilly-dallying? We need to deliver the newest order of mochi, remember?"

A girl with long dark ponytails jumped – she had just been gazing at Morihara-san, her employer's, beautiful cherry trees, which were located in the center of the house, an idyllic little garden that brought memories to Okuda Manami's wondering mind.

The bespectacled girl assured herself that it was merely a figment of her imagination, just a little daydream she had again, and rushed off to retrieve the cooked mochi. The Moriharas ran a small but popular pastry business in the bustling capital city, and Okuda was just an employee, an apprentice to be specific. She was raised by the missus of the place, Morihara-san. She was a strict but occasionally kind woman, and she always loved to tell tales about her colorful youth. One time when Okuda threw a tantrum (she had no idea why she was so childish back then), Morihara-san had told Okuda about how her parents had begged the then 26 year-old lady to take in their 7 year-old little girl, who was close to starving to death back then. That always shut Okuda up whenever she had any complaints, for her respectful self would never allow being ungrateful to the woman who raised her.

Okuda quickly picked up an ornate brown box to package the mochi. It was made of a rich dark wood, and the sign of Morihara Sweets was imprinted large and clear in the very center. The girl quickly but carefully placed each mochi in the box. Morihara-san was always proud of her green and pink mochi with traces of starch left on the soft surface. They were soft and chewy, with the sweetness reaching every corner of your mouth the moment you bit into one. Okuda had finished packing all three platters, which totaled two boxes. She quickly wrapped the wooden boxes up in a violet cloth to finish the work.

Now she just had to deliver these boxes of mochi to the Akabane household, which was a little ways down the street. The Akabanes were the wealthiest merchants in the capital city, and rumor has it that even the largest lake in their country wouldn't hold all of their gold. That was a ridiculous exaggeration of course, but it did signify how wealthy the Akabanes actually were. Even if Okuda's whole lifetime was spent, she'd probably never earn as much as the Akabanes earned in a day. She often heard small talk about the family's sole son and heir, Akabane Karma, a cunning and mischievous boy her age who seemed to aim for a position as a government official rather than inheriting his family's business. She would call that kind of people foolish. They were unaware of the difference between peasants and merchants, and often wasted their wealth away without batting an eye at the poor people suffering outside. Did this Akabane Karma know how much people would give up just for a social status like his? And he decides to throw away inheriting the family business and become a government official instead? Okuda dislike people like this. They were too arrogant for their own good.

"Ma-na-mi-chan!" A cheery voice came from behind Okuda, and she knew that Kayano Kaede, her best friend, had come to visit. The bright-spirited girl had abnormal green hair (she insisted that it was natural) styled like two cat ears, which fitted her quite well, seeing as she behaved quite like a cute little cat.

"Are you delivering mochi again? I'll help you." Kayano gazed at Okuda's bundle in curiosity.

"But how will I thank you?"

"Oh, no need. This is what friends should do: help each other!" Kayano took one box eagerly and walked out the door, with Okuda struggling to catch up with the green-haired girl's quick steps.

Morihara Sweets was part of the commercial district, which took up a sizeable amount of the capital city. Farmers rang loud and obnoxious bells to advertise their goods, the restaurants fought viciously for customers, small scuffles broke out on the streets, but this was the street and home Okuda had grown to love. It was something about its liveliness that Okuda liked, distracting her from her former and piteous life in the slums, a foul place where crime and murder was committed so often, people treated it like normal happenings.

"Whoa. Is this the place?" Kayano was gazing in wonder at the Akabane household. Their surroundings had suddenly morphed from busy marketplace to serene residence. The building was a tall two stories in height, and a terrace overlooked a quiet and buzzing pond, surrounded by blossoming pink cherry trees leaning together as if to whisper a secret. The building gave off a calm and peaceful feeling that Okuda liked very much, and she was closing her eyes and listening to the buzzing of insects when an annoyed voice interrupted her thoughts.

"What are you two here for?"

A boy about their age had walked out of the large building. He had unkempt red hair that shone under the sunlight, and his golden eyes reminded Okuda of a cat's eyes – mischievous yet mysterious. He was dressed in a simple black kimono with a thin white sash that was definitely worth more than it looked (shabby, to be honest). Okuda quickly deduced that this boy must be the Akabane heir, and she quickly bowed in a greeting.

"I am from Morihara Sweets to deliver confections." Okuda made sure to talk and act like a servant would – quiet and subdued. Thing would not look good for her if she offended him in any way.

Beside her, Kayano also bowed in greeting. Karma seemed to be studying them, especially Okuda. The bespectacled girl felt quite nervous. Was he going to accept the delivery or not?

"Here's the payment. I'll take those-" Karma was about to take the box from Okuda, but he suddenly froze. To the black-haired girl's surprise, he suddenly leaned forward to examine her until their faces were only about one inch apart.

"Suzune?" He seemed to be addressing her.

Okuda felt her face grow hot. No one, especially a boy, had ever been so close to her before. Out of mere reflex, she pushed him away rather too roughly. She quickly realized how rude it was. Servants had absolutely no rights to touch their superiors!

"I'm sorry, but I am Okuda Manami, not Suzune. I am merely a servant at Morihara Sweets, and you are the heir of the Akabane household. Please do not make sudden advances towards me." Okuda gave another quick bow and ran off, with Kayano struggling to keep up.

* * *

Karma had run out of pranks. He had also ditched his calligraphy class, so it wasn't like he could just pop back in. So what if he was the only son of the Akabane household? So what if his family had a mountain of riches? Karma didn't care at all. Life was getting bland and tasteless, at least until he met that girl.

He had gone out for a walk by the river, which did not help at all. It was blazing hot in the summer, and going outdoors was a terrible decision.

He hadn't remembered ordering mochi, so that was probably one of his little sisters. Most of the servants were visiting their family, so no one was available to pay for them. It wasn't until he had gotten a better look at the girl with ponytails when a memory came flooding back. They had made a promise under the cherry tree…

But the girl denied everything, with her name to prove him wrong. It was the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to him. Why was he so impulsive? Karma was planning on just forgetting it when he saw something as the girl ran away. On her slim arm was a small silver bracelet. The exact thing he had given Suzune 7 years ago. But was she really called Suzune? Karma had no idea, but he was sure of something. He would find that girl no matter what he had to do.

 **Note: I have changed Okuda's hairstyle to ponytails because braids are technically from western culture and did not exist in ancient Asia.**


	2. Chapter 2: An Omiai and Another Meeting

**Thanks for the follows, favorites, and reviews so far! In fact, I'll answer some of them in this author's note.**

 **Kuroe Chitsu: I'm not sure, but probably more than 10. As long as it takes for Okuda to remember Karma!**

 **animeandmangafangirl: Yeah. In ancient Asian culture, boys were valued much more than girls, even if the girls are older! The sons would inherit the family name, while the girls are married off. Also, marriage of different social statuses were** _ **very**_ **rare in ancient Japan, since the parents made the decisions, so I have to find a way for Karma's super rich merchant parents to accept Okuda! It's so frustrating, but that's more towards the end of the story.**

 **Note: Just saying that Okuda's hairstyle is ponytails now because braids were part of western culture, not ancient Asian culture.**

Okuda skidded to a stop when Kayano called her name loudly.

"Manami-chan! Where are you going? Morihara-san's shop is right _here_!" The green-haired girl stood by the store, waving vigorously.

The bespectacled girl rearranged her feelings and walked back solemnly. Her heart was beating faster than ever after the whole strange encounter. She _did_ have dreams like other girls of marrying into a prosperous and wealthy family no matter how plain and dull she looked, but it was completely outrageous that the heir of the wealthiest merchant family would make advances towards her the first time they met!

Okuda finally reached the gate. For some reason, walking there seemed to take longer than it looked. Her heart still did _not_ stop beating, and the sun was beating down directly on her.

"Manami-chan, did you actually know who that is? Nearly all the rich girls in town aim for an omiai with Karma! They say that he has zero interest in girls, but I think he likes you. Sigh. If only you weren't a servant, maybe you'd have a chance."

Okuda knew what Kayano was speaking about. Morihara-san would always tell her tales of lovers who were of different social status, which often ended in tragedy. Merchant's children had to marry people of a similar status, which never meant servants. Okuda was one. But it wasn't like she wanted to marry Karma anyway.

"Let's go in. Didn't you want to read that book Morihara-san gave me?

"Sure, Manami-chan."

* * *

Nakamura Rio stared at the boy before her. His golden eyes were looking out the window, deep in thought. Her mother had always grounded the idea that "politeness is absolute during an omiai" into her since childhood, but this boy, this Akabane Karma was not polite at all. He never even gave more than just a glance at her when she arrived. Here she was, exhausted after hours of makeup and kimono fitting, and he was treating her with an insulting attitude. Nakamura had no intention to marry, she considered herself a _free_ woman, but this was too insulting to bear.

"How impolite." Her mother would probably scream her head off at this first conversation, but Nakamura didn't care. She just wanted to express her discontent.

"You're Nakamura-san's precious only daughter, right? She's talked a lot about you." He finally turned his attention away from the window.

"You're Akabane-san's precious only son, right? I think you are very rude and spoiled."

He just smiled, which made Nakamura quite uncomfortable. "I've seen you hang around with some farmer's sons by the commercial district."

Was he trying to blackmail her?

"Don't worry, I won't tell… for something in exchange, of course." His arrogant smirk wanted to make Nakamura yell at him, but she told herself to be calm.

"For what?"

"Have you seen a shop called Morihara Sweets?"

So that's what he wanted to know?

"Yeah. In fact, I've been there a few times. The mochi is especially delicious."

"Then have you seen a girl called Okuda Manami? She has ponytails and glasses, looks kind of shy." Karma took a pencil and a piece of paper from his kimono and drew a quick sketch. Nakamura hated to admit it, but his art skills were very excellent.

Nakamura took the sketch and examined it. Yes, she did remember seeing this girl. Nakamura even admired her. She always looked so carefree and at home, but Nakamura was like a caged bird, who can only fly out when her owners let her to. That was why she had started to hang around with those farmer's sons. They were okay for friends, and Nakamura's only way to see the world through a peasant's eyes was through them.

"Yes I did. Morihara-san told me that she took her in 7 years ago." At these words, Karma's eyes narrowed, and he was off in his own world again, annoying Nakamura immensely.

"Are you interested in her? If so, I recommend giving up. A privileged young master like you has no future with a mere servant."

Nakamura immediately knew that what she said was too harsh. Karma's usual playful expression faded, and his eyes grew cold.

"It's none of your business. You don't even know me." With that said Karma left his seat and walked out of the room, closing the sliding doors with a loud _bang_.

Nakamura sighed to herself. _I knew he wouldn't remember_.

* * *

Shiota Nagisa kept his eyes trained on the ground as he listened to Tachibana, his superior, scream at him. Spit was getting all over his face, and Nagisa resisted the urge to run off to the restroom and wipe them off.

"What kind of mistake was that? Don't even think about going home this year. You will have to stay to make up for this ridiculous mistake!"

You never could argue with Tachibana. He'd blame every little mistake on the unlucky employee he disliked, and Nagisa was today's pick. If it wasn't for his family's welfare, he would've left his servant position at the Akabane household already. Fortunately, his childhood friend Karma would always put in a good word for him. Nagisa firmly believed that that was the only reason he was still here. Otherwise, he'd be packing a knapsack and traveling all the way to his hometown now.

"Nagisa-kun!" A cheerful voice came from the gate, and Nagisa quickly excused himself, grateful to Kayano for interrupting the annoying Tachibana.

The boy quickly checked if his two ponytails were messy. No. He quickly slipped on his straw shoes and ran to the gate where the green-haired girl stood waiting.

"What is it, Kayano-san?" They had met while buying vegetables a week ago and Kayano always liked to come over for a visit now and then.

"Is Karma here? I'd like to talk to him." Kayano gave Nagisa another smile, and she craned her neck to look over the gate.

"Sure. He just messed up another omiai, so he's free right now. Please come in." Nagisa stepped aside and held the large gate open with a creak for Kayano, who skipped inside.

* * *

Karma could hear someone humming down the hall. Didn't he just tell the servants to leave him alone? His emotions were in a big maelstrom, and he needed some time away from the pesky servants, always checking on his welfare.

It was getting dark outside, but the red-haired boy could still see a sakura branch dipping close to the window as if nodding a greeting. He plucked a pink blossom from the branch and inhaled its sweet and intense smell while the memories flowed back again. Karma placed the blossom by the window and lighted the lamp on his table. He pulled a small booklet out of the pile of books resting on the wooden surface. It was stringed together with a thinning cord, and the pages looked yellow and chewed at the corners, but he slowly flipped the book open. Inside was a pressed cherry blossom that once was exactly like the fresh one Karma's had plucked. Only little grey bits were left on the page, but Karma kept it anyways. Suzune had given it to him on their last meeting, which was 7 years ago, precisely the time Okuda Manami had arrived at Morihara Sweets. It was a coincidence, but how often did such occurences happen anyway? Okuda Manami had to be the same person as Suzune.

Karma was thinking again, but Nagisa's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Karma-kun, there is someone here to see you."

He felt annoyed. This was supposed to be his time! "Who is it? Dismiss them if there is nothing important."

"It's Kayano Kaede, and she works with Okuda Manami at Morihara Sweets. Kayano-san told me that she wants to speak to you."

This was new. Maybe Karma could get some information from her.

"Show her in."


	3. Chapter 3: Memories and a Conversation

**Note: I'm changing Okuda's hairstyle to ponytails, because braided hair did not exist in ancient Japan. It is from western culture. Did you know that merchants are actually the lowest in the social hierarchy? But merchant families amass a fortune over time, so they're actually quite powerful.**

 **Question to animeandmangafangirl: Can I use Kiyoko in this story? I did mention Karma having sisters, so it would be nice if Kiyoko made an appearance. Also, Terasaka and friends will appear later. The farmer boys mentioned are just random inventions.**

 **I12Bfree: You noticed it?! I just didn't feel like coming up with a new name, but you have a really good memory!**

 **A hanami is basically a flower viewing festival.**

Nakamura had stopped hanging around with those farmer boys. They weren't exactly just and obedient to rules, and the girl just felt uncomfortable whenever she remembered Karma's annoying smile. It plagued her whenever she was around those people, and the uncomfortable feeling was erased almost immediately when she started avoiding them. The merchant's daughter didn't like sneaking around like a criminal, but she could definitely cut all of her peasant relations now.

She remembered the tiny bit of excitement she had felt when her mother announced an omiai with Karma, but that just seemed foolish now. Why would he remember some random girl at the hanami more than 3 years ago?

 _Nakamura had been dragged there by her parents, who had arranged to view the cherry blossoms with their longtime acquaintance, the Akabane family. The blonde girl had tried all kinds of things - making the servant girl go in place of her, hiding in a tree, and even more. But all of it had no avail, and she was forced to wear an ugly kimono too small for her size._

 _Adults' talk was always dull and boring to Nakamura, and it was even blander at the festival. She was almost bored to tears, and kept wondering why she couldn't be just a farmer girl rather than a daughter of the powerful Nakamura family, who is always forced to do things she does not care for._

 _The blonde girl had wondered off to a tree, just wanting some peace from all the annoying questions she was pestered with. But somebody unexpected had spoken to her – the Akabane family's heir._

" _You're bored too?" He looked different then. More cheerful, less tricky than he is now._

"… _Yeah. Aren't you supposed to be over there smiling and answering questions?" Nakamura didn't feel like talking to anyone then, and she felt annoyed at the red-haired boy's sudden appearance._

" _I'd rather just sit and appreciate the flowers. They remind me of an old friend… By the way, doesn't your name have 'cherry' in it?" Karma sat down beside Nakamura, and was staring at the swaying cherry branches above them with a smile. Nakamura felt surprisingly comfortable talking to this boy, who was basically a stranger, since they never even met before._

" _Yeah. Why do you ask?"_

 _Karma stood up and plucked a cherry blossom, twirling it around in his fingers with a smile before leaning forward to place it in Nakamura's hair, an act that the blonde girl and her upbringing considered quite bold._

" _You should enjoy such festivals more. You're called Rio after all."_

" _Huh? Why?"_

" _Before you realize it, you won't be allowed to do stuff like this anymore: play, talk with friends, and go outside. It's the bad side of being rich, I guess. You're expected to be the perfect example for the poor people." Karma smiled in a melancholy way, which made him look totally strange and not himself in some way, not that Nakamura knew him anyway. It was just a feeling._

" _Is that so?"_

After that, they didn't speak much more, but Nakamura had always recognized Karma's name: the redhead's smile and words would pop back into her head like an annoying bug in the summertime. She had to admit that she was somewhat excited to see him again when her mother announced an omiai, but he probably has a memory of a koi fish in the pond, which meant bad.

She looked out the window to take in the scenery. Their house faced the commercial district, which often gave her a hard time when sleeping, but it was bustling and aromatic in the day, which always comforted her in some way, making her know that she wasn't in a blank world with no one for company. Nakamura rose and adjusted her kimono sash. She would go out and kill time.

* * *

Kayano gazed at the red-haired boy in front of her. True, he was _dashing_ , if that was the correct word, but he also looked a bit too mischievous for the green-haired girl's liking. Not that she really had her eye on that kind of boy anyway. Nagisa, however, was an ideal other half: kind and willing to listen.

"What do you want to speak to me about?" Karma looked quite serious, but he was smiling anyway.

"I just thought you'd be curious about Manami-chan." Kayano returned his smile and sat on the tatami, kneeling so her weight transferred to her legs. The small room smelled like a garden, wet from a recent rain. The buzzing of insects added to the comforting environment which was tranquil and peaceful, different from Kayano's bedroom, which was shared with several noisy servant girls. Merchants really had it well off.

"Well then, tell me about how she came to this part of Edo."

"Manami-chan came to Morihara's 7 years ago. Her parents looked truly broke and shabby, and it was easily believable that she came from a faraway and poor area. She wasn't much good for chores at first, but Manami-chan did get used to it after a while. She seemed to have no memory of her past whenever we girls were curious. Maybe it was an incident that caused that." Kayano tapped her lip with her index finger as she thought hard, pausing at the same time.

"Go on." Karma's eyes narrowed a little, but he didn't show any other emotion.

"She also had a bracelet. It was very expensive, that I could tell. Small silver cherry flowers linked together with a pricy string. She didn't know where it came from though. Said that she didn't remember anything about it, and that she thought it was perhaps a gift from a family friend."

"Is there any more information?"

"No, I'm afraid that's it. It was a great pleasure and honor meeting you, Akabane-sama." Kayano bowed politely before rising to slide open the doors.

"By the way, if you have your eye on Nagisa, I can always consent to a marriage between you two." Karma's teasing voice made Kayano redden, and she quickly exited the room, shutting the door almost too forcefully.

 **I'm thinking of writing a companion story about Nagisa and Kayano. Just a thought.**


	4. Chapter 4: Suzune

**I'm VERY sorry for keeping all of you waiting! I've been ignoring all of my fics for a while. I admit that the chapters are kind of short… I might change that later. The quality of this chapter might not be very good, and I'm sorry for that.**

Okuda woke up, and attended to her chores. It was just another normal day after all… not. Morihara-san's loud voice rang from down the hall, shocking the black-haired girl immensely.

"Manami, you have a visitor!"

Who actually would want to see her? She was just a normal and lowly servant after all. Slowly making her way to the doorway, she wondered whether it could be Kayano. That was unlikely, since knowing her outgoing friend, the green-haired girl would always just rush in without notifying Morihara-san.

When Okuda saw that the visitor was Akabane Karma, she froze for a second. He just stood there, cat-like eyes scrutinizing her, as if it was nothing special for a merchant's son to go visit a sweet shop servant, seemingly waiting for a reaction.

"What is Akabane-sama doing here?" She had to remain respectful after all. It was the important rule that no one could forget.

"I wanted to see how the sweet shops work."

 _Urr… no. I don't think so._

But of course, she would never say that. "You may watch if you wish." After bowing, she quickly shuffled off to the kitchen, all the while aware of the red-haired boy following close behind.

She rummaged around for ingredients, and remembered that she had to go to the grocery today. Sighing, she quickly picked up a basket and started her way out.

"I thought you were going to make sweets or something?" Ah, right. The spectator.

"I need more ingredients, so I am going to the grocery owned by Miya-san right down the street."

"You mean the old man?"

"Yes, and you can follow if you wish." She really had no idea why this aristocrat was taking any interest in her doings. Yes, he had mentioned someone called… Suzune? Maybe she looked like that person. Okuda sighed inwards and decided that she would have to tell Akabane Karma that she did not remember being or seeing this girl ever.

…

Miya-san was as generous as always, and gave her a good amount of gifts for being a 'loyal' customer. The old man's shop had been getting less and less visited lately after all. Something about a rival showing up across the street, or was it a rumor of ghosts?

Okuda decided that the mix-up should be cleared now, since she couldn't have Karma follow her for the whole day.

"Do you still think I'm Suzune?"

Karma raised an eyebrow and then smiled a little. "Yeah. You remember, huh?"

"I'd like you to tell me why you think she's me. Please." Okuda would probably be in big trouble if Karma was ever offended. Not like he appeared to be that kind of person though, since he looked… kind of friendly. Maybe after the whole misunderstanding was cleared up, they could be friendly acquaintances.

"First, you have a bracelet, right?" Karma gestured towards her right wrist, and she slowly nodded after giving her small trinket a glance.

"It was probably given to me a long time ago, since it's too small to take off anymore." Okuda genuinely couldn't remember who it had come from. Her parents, maybe?

"I gave that to Suzune when we were 7. It was made specially, so there should only be one. Yours."

Karma took Okuda's hand before she could say anything, and examined the bracelet before nodding his affirmation.

"It has to be that one. Now how come you don't remember?"

"You see, sir…" Okuda was a little desperate now. She really didn't want ANYTHING to do with the rich merchants! The bespectacled girl missed her peaceful servant life. Now, she was being pursued by this Akabane Karma?! This was so confusing.

Suddenly, someone bumped into her with great force, and she almost fell over, only to have Karma catch her before that could happen. He kept holding her, and only let go when Okuda started wriggling around.

"… Thank you."

"You! Servant girl! That hurt!" The person who had crashed into Okuda was an obese man, and he was seemingly holding her responsible. The black-haired girl gulped, and her mind was in turmoil. What if he demanded payment? What would she do then? By now, this "argument" was attracting a lot of attention, and most of the traffic stopped to watch.

"I'm very sorry, sir…" Okuda decided to apologize and hope that the man wouldn't pursue this. After all, Morihara-san couldn't be looking after her and paying for her mistakes ALL the time!

"An apology won't change the fact that you ruined my kimono!"

"I-I" Okuda didn't know what to do, but someone grabbed her hand. It was Karma.

"Let's run, Okuda-san." With that, he started running, pulling a surprised Okuda along and away from the man who was accusing her. They kept running, and Okuda had to admit that it was comfortable –letting the wind blow her hair all over the place, that is. She had not done this since… when? Okuda kept digging at her vague memories, but she could not remember. She had run like this before… but she just couldn't remember! Was she really Suzune after all?

Okuda realized that they had reached a quieter place, enclosed by cherry trees. The blossoms were still blooming, and the familiar smell calmed her formerly panicking mind.

"What is this place?"

Karma had picked up a petal from the ground and was just… staring at it.

"The place where we said goodbye. Are you sure you don't remember."

"Akabane-san, I'm very sorry, but I really don't remember. Maybe I just look like the Suzune you are searching for. However, I must thank you for rescuing me from that confrontation." Okuda bowed before taking up her basket. She was still debating whether she wanted to get to know Karma. He seemed nice enough, but wouldn't stop asking her if she was his long lost friend.

Karma looked as if he wanted to say something, but nodded.

"Okuda-san, you can call me Karma-kun."

The black-haired girl stopped and hesitated for a while. She turned and gave Karma a small smile. "Sure, Karma-kun."


End file.
